Suction cleaner



Oct 21, 1941. o. G. SMELLIE ,260,236

SUCTION QLEANER Filed Dec. 13', 1939 INVENTOR Doriald G. Smellie ATTORNEY therewith the attached drawing Patented Oct. 21, 1941 SUCTION CLEANER Donald G. smellie, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 13, 1939, Serial No. 308,914

RElSSUEb 13 Claims. '(CI. 15-16) The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and more particularly to a new and novel suction cleaner embodying sounddeadening or absorbing means;

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved suction cleaner. 011': ,is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved suction cleaner characterized by reduced noise of operation. Still another object of the invention is to provide, in a suction cleaner of the type in which the dirt-filtering bag is supported at its upper end by the pivoted cleaner handle, sound-absorbing means which extend into the bag and are so mounted as to improve the relationship of the bag to the cleaner body. A still further object of the invention is toprovide a suction cleaner construction in which the dust bag carried by the pivoted handle is connected through the sound-absorbing mufller and its fixed pivotal connection to ,the cleaner body. A further object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner in which the sound-absorbing mufiler is connected to the exhaust'outlet of the cleaner by means of a, collapsible bellows and rigid means pivoted upon an horizontal axis. These and other more specific objects will appear upon readinggthe following specificationand claims and upon considering in connection to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a modern suction cleaner embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged section through the cleaner mufller and bag unit.

In the modern suction cleaner the noise of cleaner operation has been greatly reduced by .numerous refinements until today a large part of the audible sounds are discharged into the ambient by means of the exhausted air from the cleaner. The removal of the sound vibrations in this exhausted air is accomplished in the present invention by a new and improved construction which has the advantage of providing an improved connection between the cleaner'bag and the cleaner body.

Referring again to the drawing, a suction cleaner is disclosed which is seen to comprise a nozzle l which is interiorly connected by an air passageway 2 to a fan chamber 3 housing a suction-creating fan 4. Within the nozzle l is positioned a rotary agitator which is driven means which includes an unshown motor positioned within a motor casing I, immediately over fan chamber 3, the shaft 8 of which extends downwardly through thefan chamber where it carries the suction-creating fan '4. The fan chamber 3 is provided with an exhaust outlet 9 formed with a rear flange ill to which the ba and mufiier unit, hereinafter described, is removably secured by means of'a manually operable securingelement H. The cleaner body is movably supported by means of the front and rear wheels l2 and I3, respectively, and, asin the usual cleaner, a pivoted handle i4 is provided by which the operator can exert a propelling force.

The bag and mufiler unit is seen to comprise a connector l5 formed in its principal body portion as a conduit, there being a transversely extending flange l6 at the entrance of the conduit which is adapted to abut and be secured to the cleaner exhaust flange I0 by the manually opdrical body section 22 erable securing means H. Connector I5 is formed above its conduit body portion with a rearwardly extending supporting bracket or arm ll to which the lower rigid casing section l8 of the muffler is pivotally mounted. Section It comprises an outer cylindrical body portion l9 and an enlarged head portion 20 preferably shaped as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, which is' pivoted by means porting bracket ll.

of a pin 2| upon the sup- An outer metallic, cylinseats upon the cylindrical body portion IQ of section l8 and extends therebeyond, substantially as a continuation, being formed at its outer end withan inwardly curved rim or face. Seated within the rigid body, formed by 19 and 22 is a cylinder of sound-absorbing material such as sponge rubber, indicated at 23,

which is conflned against outward displacement by the inwardly turned end of cylinder 22 and against inward displacement by the intumed flange 24 formed upon section l8 at the junction of the head portion 20 and the upper portion 19. The passageway through the sound-absorbing sleeve or lining 23 is connected to the conduit body portion ofconnector l5 by means of an expansible-contractable bellows 21 which is preferably made of rubber or some similar, resilient material and which comprises a plurality of circular corrugations or pleats which are oi greater depth at the bottom than at the top. The bellows is clamped to the conduit-body of connector l5 by a suitable encircling spring clamp 28, and is connected to the muiiier through through a power-transmitting belt 6 by suitable encircling and gripping a seating ring 29 carried by the inwardly extending flange 24. of v head Ill. The lower end of the ring strap 33 smaller diameter, are

fler and at of the connector.

lsofthe 1 is accomplished by the pivotal movement of the the 29 is slightly out-turned to prevent the bellows slipping off.

The cylindrical muiller 22 is adapted to receive and seatthe inlet or mouth of a suction cleaner filter bag which, in the drawing, is indicated by the reference character 32 and supported'at its upper end by a supporting and a channel member 34 which closes the upper end of the bag. At the neck of the bag is a cylindrical sleeve 35 which, like the bag itself, is preferably made of paper but of a stiffer variety and which is of a size adapted closely to enclose the muflier body. The retaining means which secure the lower end of the bag in place upon the muflier, claimed in the co-pending application, Serial No. 289,565, filed by Harry B. White, October 11, 1939, and is not per se the present invention. Briefly, the securing means comprises a rubber ring or sleeve 38 recess 39 in the muflier cylindrical body portion body formed by It and and is seen to be of the usual shape "as illustrated, is'disclosed and force upon the bag and mufilerwhich tends to offset the weight thereof, thereby reducing the lifting eiiect necessary from the operator. In. the operation of the cleaner, the cleaning air laden with foreign material is exhausted from the clehner exhaust 9 through the bellows 21'' and the muiiier and into the bag. As it passes through the sound-absorblng material 23 the sound waves therein are reduced and absorbed and the air is exhausted into the bagproper in a quieted condition producing a quieter operation of the cleaner. Bag replacement is accomplished by pivoting the manually operable lever '45 outwardly, whereupon the rings 42 move inwardly, the resilient sleeve 38 contracts, and the bag neck can he slid on the cylindrical mufiler body. 'Theinsertion of a new or cleaned bag is exactly the reverse operation.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner comprising a body "formed with an exhaust outlet and sucti0n=crewhich seats within a peripheral I9, closely enclosing that element by its own re- 1 siliency. Within and under the rubber ring 38, and seated in a peripheral groove 40 of even expansible rings 42 which are provided with one or more lever arms '43 pivoted within the muiller head section 20 at 44. Rings 42- are illustrated in Figure 2 in the sleeveexp'anding; bag-retaining relationship. Normally the expansible rings do not expand the rubber ring or sleeve 38 except upon the expanding movement of the lever arm 42 which is accomplished by the manual pivoting of a pivoted lever arm 45 from an-outstanding radial position to that shown in Figure 2. The lever arm is shown in its 'lower position in Figure 2 and the expansible rings have been expanded to expand the retaining rubber sleeve 38 to secure the neck of the bag 32 in place. The exact construction of ating'means to exhaust dirt-laden air through said outlet,- a handle pivotaliy connected to said body, a dirt-filtering bag supported at its upper end from said handle andformed at its lower end with a reduced-neck portion, a sound-absorbing mufier de'tacliably seating said bag, rigid 48 and a resilient bumper 48.

The spring 48 encircles the 'pivot-pin 2l of the muiiler'andj'bag construction'and is'in contact at -one of its ends with the head 20 of the mufits opposite end with the arm I! I Spring 48 functions at all times to exert an upwardly the munler unit. The bumper 49, which may be of rubber, is carried by the lower casing section mufller body on its underside, being so positioned as to contact articles of furniture etc. which are struckjby the cleaner when moving in a rearward direction. In operation the clean-.- er constructed in accordance'with the resent invention is propelled back and forth'ac the surface covering undergoing cleaning by e operator exerting a propelling force through the cleaner handle 14. As the machine is reciprocated the angular the upper end of the' dust bag 32 is raised and 1 lowered effecting -a change imbag angularity.

With the cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention this change in angularity bag and the muiller construction about the piv- The coil spring 48 at the pivoting force upon means pivotally mounting said muiiier to said .exhaust outlet about an horizontal axis fixed relative to thecleaner body to enable said mufier to move relative to said body under forces transmitted through said bag from the handle, and means including an expansible-contractable accordion-like rubber tube interiorly connecting said mufiler to said exhaust outlet in all positions of the former. a '2. In a suction cleaner comprising a body formedwith an exhaust outlet and suction-creating means to exhaust dirt-laden air through said outlet,', a handle pivotally connected to said end with a reduced neck portion, a sound-absorbhaust outlet about an hormontal axis fixed relamitted through said bag from the handle, and

the pivotal axis of saidrigid pivotal mounting 3. A suction-cleaner bag and niuiller unit comb d a dirt-filtering bag supp r ed at its upper end from said handle and formed at its lower ing muiller detachably seating said has. rigid means pivotally mounting said mufller to said extive. to the cleanerubody to .enabld said muiller to move relative to said body under forces transmeans including an expansible-contractable rubber. bellows positioned at one side of and below means and interiorly connecting said muilier to said exhaust outlet in all positions of the former.

prising a connector adapted tobe detachably 'securedto'the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner and including a body-conduit portion, aisoundposition of the handle relative to the cleaner body changes and as it changes absorbing muilier pivoted about a fixed axis on said connector, an expansible-contractable' bellows interiorly connecting said mufller and said body-conduit portion, and a dust bag removably seated on said muiller.

4. A suction-cleaner bag and muiller unit comprising a connector adapted to be detachably secured to the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner and includinga body-conduit portion, a soundabsorbing mufller including arigid body and sound-absorbing material, rigid. means'gpivotally mounting the muiiler body for-limitedpivotal movementabout a fixed axis on said connector, an expansible-contractable resilient connection between said mufller and said connector, and a dust bag seated on said muiller. I a

5. A suction-cleaner bag and muiller unit com' ing construction, a muflier prising a connector adapted to be detachably secured to the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner and including a body-conduit portion, a cylindrical sound-absorbing muffler aligned with the body-conduit portion of said connector, rigid means pivotally connecting said muflier to said connector for movement about an axis above said body-conduit portion, spring means urging said muiller upwardly about said pivotal axis, expansible-contractable-resilient means connecting said muiiier to said body-conduit portion, and a dust bag removably seated on said muifier.

6. A suction-cleaner bag and muiiler unit comprising a connector adapted to be detachably secured to the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner and including a body-conduit portion, a soundabsorbing muffler including a rigid body, rigid means pivotally mounting said rigid mufller body on said connector and preventing relative movement therebetween except about the pivotal axis, expansible-contractabl'e resilient means connecting said muffler to said body-conduit portion, manually operable bag-seating-and-securing means on said muiller, and a dust bag removably seated on said muiiier.

7. In a suction cleaner, an ambulant body including a nozzle and an exhaust outlet, a soundabsorbing muiiier pivotally connected to said exhaust outlet by means of an expan'sible-contractable bellows and by rigid pivotally related means adjacent and at the side of said expansible-contractable means, and bag-retaining means movable with said mufller.

8. In a suction cleaner, an ambulant body, a propelling handle pivotally connected thereto, a suction nozzle, suction-creating means connected thereto, an exhaust outlet to convey dirt-laden air from said means, a dirt-filtering bag to receive air from said outlet supported at its upper end by said handle, a mufller structure including an acoustic absorption means positioned within said bag, means to connect interiorly said bag and muiiler to said exhaust outlet to receive air therefrom including a flexible connection in the form of a bellows structure movably supporting said mufller whereby Saidmumer may be displaced readily by a force transmitted through the bag from the handle in pivoting, and rigid means at one side of said bellows limiting bag and muiiler movement to a pivotal movement about a fixed axis.

9. In a suction cleaner mufller and bag-mountincluding bag-seating means, a seating member adapted to beseated upon the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner to which said muiiier is pivoted for movementabout a fixed axis, and expansible-contractible resilient means between said mufiler and said seating member to connect interiorly said muffler to an exhaust outlet.

10. A suction cleaner muffler and bag-mounting construction comprising a connector adapted to be detachably seated upon the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner, a mufiler including bagseating means adapted to receive the mouth of a suction cleaner dust bag, a rigid pivotal connection between said muflier and said connector, and expansible-contractible means interiorly connecting said connector and said muiiler.

11. A suction cleaner muffler and bag-mounting construction comprising a tubular connector adapted to be detachably seated upon the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner, a mufller including a rigid cylindrical body portion and a sound-absorbing sleeve, bag-seating-and-retaining means on said body portion, a rigid pivotal connection between said muffler and said connector, and an expansible-contractible tubular bellows interiorly connecting said muffler and. said connector.

12. A suction cleaner mufiler and bag-mounting construction comprising a connector adapted to be detachably seated upon the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner, a muflier including bagseating means adapted to receive the mouth of a suction cleaner dust bag, a rigid pivotal connection between said mufller and said connector,

expansible-contractible means interiorly connect-' ing said connector and said mufiier, and resilient means exerting a force to counterbalance the effect of gravity acting to pivot said mufller about its pivotal axis.

13. A suction cleaner mufiier and bag-mounting construction comprising a connector adapted to be detachably seated upon the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner, a mufiier including bag-seating means adapted to receive the mouth of a suction cleaner dust bag, a rigid pivotal connection between said mufller and said connector, expansible-contractible means interiorly connecting said connector and said mufiler, and a spiral coil spring at said pivotal connection exerting a force on said muiiier to counterbalance the effect of gravity acting'thereon.

DONALD G. SMEILIE. 

